Asian J Beauty Cosmetol. 2012; 10(3): 619-624.
Effects of Pine Needles Fermentation Extracts on Antioxidant Activity and Inhibition of Melanin Synthesis
ABSTRACT
This experiment was to investigate antioxidant effect and inhibitory effect of melanin synthesis with a pine
needles fermentation extract (PN) from a natural substance for developing whitening cosmetics materials
based on preventing aging skin. As a positive control group, L-ascorbic acid (ASA), Epigallocatechin gallate
(EGCE) and caffeic acid phenethyl ester (CAPE) that is the existing antioxidant known was used for testing
PN after natural ripening. To investigate antioxidant effect, we performed DPPH assay and SOD (superoxide
dismutase) activity assay. PN has very higher antioxidative activity compared with positive control groups
in DPPH assay and SOD activity assay. When the comparison group was compared with the result of
the test on depressor effect of melanin formation, it showed that PN has higher depressor competence of
melanin formation, especially and it has a marked depressor competence of melanin formation in 100 μg/
ml concentration. PN reduced to form melanin depending on a concentration comparing with the comparison
group in Human melanoma SK-mel-2 induced by ultraviolet radiation that causes pigmentation. Therefore,
the result showed that PN has higher effect than the comparison group. As above, it has good possibility to
activate antioxidant of a pine needles fermentation extract and to develop as whitening materials of functional
cosmetics. Moreover, it needs to study more such investigation of an action mechanism, division of the active
constituent and application.
Keywords :
Pine needles fermentation extracts, Antioxidant activity, Melanin
